Improvement in apparatus for warming buildings with steam



(150.) s Shee ts-Sheet 1.

" JAMES H BLESSiNG.

improvement in Apparatus for Warming Buildings with Steam. N0 121,748Patented Dec.12,1871.

a, E Jay! 6 3 Sheets--Sheet 2.

JAN] E8 H. BLESSiNG.

Improvement in Apparatus f0r Warming Buildings with Steam.

Patented Dec. 12,1871.

3 Sheets--Sheet 3.

JAMES H. BLESSING.

Improvement in Apparatus for Warming Buildings with Steam.

Patented Dec. 12, 1871.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orr JAMES H. BLESSING, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND FREDERICK TOWNSEND, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN APPARATUS FOR WARMING BUILDINGS WITH STEAM.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,748, dated December12, 1871.

fication, in which- Figure 1, Plate 1, is a diagram illustrating theapparatus complete. Fig. 2, Plate 2, is a section taken diametricallythrough the steam-trap and its valve-boxes. Fig. 3, Plate 3, is a frontview of the valve-box and tripping devices which are applied thereto.Fig. 4., Plate 3, is a perspective view of the oscillating sector of thetripping devices.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements which areapplicable to apparatus designed for warming buildings with steam. Theobjects of the improvements are: First, to simplify the tripping devicesfor the inlet and exhaust-valves described in the schedule annexed to myLetters Patent of the United States dated on the 2d day of May, 1871, bythe employment of a verticallymovable gravitating rod in combinationwith an oscillating angular lever, an oscillating segment, and avertically-movable slotted tripping-rod, so constructed and connected tothe diaphragm-rod that the rising-and-falling movements of this rod willactuate the inlet and exhaust-valves through which steam is allowed toenter the diaphragmcase, and its water of condensation is caused toescape therefrom, as will be hereinafter explained. Second, to combinewith the exhaust-passage of the diaphragm-case anautomatically-operating check-valve, which can be adjusted at will forregulating the exhaust and speed of the trap, as will be hereinafterexplained. Third, to so construct the trap and its accessories that thesame can be employed as a means for supplying the steam-boiler, whenunder pressure, with feedwater from an elevated reservoir, as will behereinafter explained.

The following description of my invention will enable others skilled inthe art to understand it.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1, I have represented, in connectionwith the steam-trap, a stean1-boiler,a heating-coil, and a system ofconducting-pipes; but it is obvious that the proper relative proportionsof these parts is not preserved. The steam-boiler S is of the well-knownkind used in connection with warming apparatus. From the steam-space ofthis boiler a pipe, G, leads upward and communicates with thesteam-heaters 70, which are arranged in different parts of the building;also with a pipe, N, which communicates with a pipe, N, leading from anelevated reservoir of feed-water into one end of a passage,b, whichcommunicates with the lower apartment L of the steam-trap. The pipes G,N, and N are provided, respectively, with cut-off cocks V, V and V asshown in Fig. 1. Another pipe, B, forms a communication between thepassage b of the trap and the water-space of the steam-boiler; and stillanother pipe, 0, leads out of the chamber h of a valve-box, D, and isprovided with an automatic check-valve'for regulating the escape ofsteam, as will be hereinafter explained. The lower portion or case ofthe trap is preferably made oftwo concavoconvex sections, AA, flangedand bolted together with a flexible diaphragm, R, confined between them,as shown in Fig.2. This diaphragm is composed of a circular sheet ofhighlyvulcanized rubber interposed between two pieces of strong cloth.It forms in the case two apartments, L L-an upper apartment, L, and alower one, L--between which there is no communication whatever. Thelower section A of the diaphragm-case is constructed with a diametricalpassage, 1), which communicates centrally with the lower apartment Lthrough an opening, 0 and which communicates at one end with inletpipe Nand at its opposite end with outlet-pipe B The upper section A of thediaphragm-case is constructed with a central contracted neck, which issuitably secured to the bottom of the valve-box D, and which affords acommunication, 2, between the chamber L above the diaphragm R and thechamber h in the box D, as shown in Fig. 2. The diaphragm R has a rod,P, connected centrally to it by means of plate P and a nut on the end ofsaid rod. The rod P extends up through the passage 2 through thevalve-box D and through a stuffing-box which is applied to the top ofthe valve-box; consequently, when the diaphragm rises and descends itwill impart corresponding movements to the rod P. By means of a collar,r, a horizontal arm, 19, is secured fast to that portion of the rod Pwhich is exposed above the box D, and to the outer extremity of renamethis arm the upper end of a rod, F, is pivoted. the lower end of whiehis slotted at t. as shown in Figsl and it. The oblong slot 1 through thelower end of the rod 1" reeeives through it a stud which is on one endof an angular lt'\t 1. 1. thus connecting rod 1 to this lever. The lever1 is applied so as to oseillate ltntst'l} upon a ho1i/.on tal stem, 0,whieh is part of a'rtwhinglever. that trips the inlet and outletvalves11 11. show 11 in Fig. 1.. The opposite or upper aim or le\e1' 1 plavsin a notelnj. whieh is made into the tlanged portionol'anoseillatingsegment This segment fis ke ved on the stem 1' and oseillates thisstent. together with the val\ elevt'l' The upperend ot' theltlhl'llzllllt'tl ar1n ot' le\ er 1 hasa triangulai antit'rietionpl:1tes,pivotedtoit.\\l1ieh impinges against an antinietion w heel.o on thelowerend ot'a gravitatingrod.1 The rod 11 pla \s \ertie all v through atub1.l.11' hraeket. 1 1, w hieh is tixed to the valve-box l). and itsaxis eoineides w ilh a vertical plane interseet ing' the axisot the stem1'. On the upper portion ot' the rod 1, a weight. IC. is applied so thatit ran headjusted 11p and down to allow more or less of the rod 1, to beexposed belowthe lowerendot' the l1raekett11he lhas 111a be desired. Thenut 1, whieh has a eushion on its lower end. serves as a janrnut tor theweight.

The upper arm of le\er 1 has eonsideiable play in its slot or noteh j"in segment I'. and at the eonnneneenlent ot' eaeh 11p and down stroke otthedia 1hragn1'rod l the slot I allows this iod to move some distaneehetole the latter operates upon the lever 'l he loaded rod 0 is supported upon one or the other ot the three sides ol plate s, so as to throwthe arm of lever ear1;ving this plate, quielvlv past a vertieal planei11- tersecting the axis of the stein 1'. whether the lever g be movedtoward the right hand or the left.

It will be seen from the above deseription that when the diaphragm andits rod are t'oreed 11pward and nearly reaeh the termination of this upstroke, the rod l assisted l1 loaded rod 11. will move lever g. whieh inturn will move the segnientf and eause lever \\'to shut the outletvalve7t and open the inlet\ alve 11.thus euttingot't' the exhaust andallowing the pressure of steam from pipe G to net upon the upper sideot'diaphragln 1t and depress it, together with the rod l. \\'hen thediaphragm and its rod are plessed dow nward. just betore the termination111' this downstroke the rod 1 strikesthe lever 1.111111. w ith theassist aneeot' the loaded levere, n1oves this lever to the positionindiealed in Figs. 1 and it, and. by acting on the segment f, tiltslever and eloses valve 11 and opens valve 11. thus allowing ot anexhaust through pipe and the eheek-valve opening.

111 order to regulate the exhaust through pipe 0,1 e1nplo v a doublevalve within the valvohox c. This device eonsists of two e lindriealvalves, 0 and e applied to a vertieallvntovable ste111. the ascent ofwhich is regulated b v a serew. 1", applied above it. The valves aretortned on the stem, and the upper valve isot' sueh diameteras willeover the e \lindrieal opening through the partition in the valve-box e,while the lower valve 0 is slightly smaller in diameter than saidopening, as shown in Pi 2. This cheek-valve in the exhaust'pipe operatesas follows: At the moment, the diaphragm it eonnnences the upperstrokethe exhaust-valve 11 is opened and the exhaust-steam on its w a v to theatmosphere,passingthrough the eheelevalve opening, strikes the uppervalve 0 and hits it t'ront its seat,carryingwith it the lower valve euntil the stein strikes the set-screw e. whieh latter is so adjusted asto prevent the iowervalvetron1enteringthe cylindrical passage throughthe partition, leaving thereby a space for the passage ot the exhauststean1. When the diaphragm eonnnenees its down-stroke the exhaust-\alve11 closes and the check-valves e 0 tall, by their own weight, untilarrested by the upper val\e striking its seat, thereby insuring theelearanee of all sedinlent out of the space through whieh passes theexhaust steam. After the eheekvalves are adjusted to the proper workingof the trap they preserve this adjustment and operate auto1natieall v toregulate the speedot' the trap.

\\'hen it is desired to supply the steam-boiler with teed-water from areservoir with which the pipe N eonnn1u1ieates,the coil-heater is cutoit' t'ron1 the trap h y elosingt'he cock V and the cock Y in thedrip-leg N. The cock V in the feed pipe X is then opened, whichestablishes a comn1unieation between the lower apartnent I/ot' thetrap-ease and the reservoir of water ahove ret'erred to. The steamC(llllll'llllllttltiUll between the upper eoinpartnlent L of the trap,valves,antl boiler is preeiselv the same as before; but. instead ofallowing the drip to flow into the boiler the teed-water only will flowtherein through pipe 13, entering the trap through a check-valve, 1 in avalve-box, l3, and escaping through checkvalve 11 in a valve-box, B.

It is important that the reservoir for the supply ot' teed-water shouldbe above the level of the trap. Thirty inches above the level of thetrap has been found to answer a good purpose for the elevation of thereservoir, though it may he placed n1ueh higher, or even lower thanthis. The trap itself should be arranged above the higlrvvater level inthe boiler, so that the dripwater or water of condensation will flowback into the boiler by its own gravity when the inletvalve is openedand the exhaust-valve is shut, and an equilibrium of pressure betweenthe upper and lower sides of the diaphragm is established.

Ilavin g described my invention, what I claim as new isl. Thetripping-ltwer g and segmentf applied on the ste111ot'valve-leverWV,incoinbination with the gravitating-rod 0, the slotted rodF, and the diapln-agin-rod l, substantially as described.

2. Thesegnientftixedtothesteineandnotched at f to reeeive one arm of anangular lever, g, whieh is applied loosely on said stem 0, substantiallyas and for the purposes described.

it. The eonibination of a cheek-valve with the exhaust-valve passage ofthe valve-box D, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The valve-lever W and its stem 0, in combination with inlet andoutlet-valves 11 1t in valvebox D, a tripping device, and avertically-movacombination with the chamber L of the diablediaphragm-rod, P, all substantially as dephragm-case A A, substantiallyas described. scribed. JAMES H. BLESSING.

5. The passages b b constructed in the section A of the diaphragm-case,substantially as and Witnesses: for the purposes described. A. P.STUART,

6. The inlet and outlet check-\ 'alves b b, in PETER J. CALLEN. (147)

